Pemayangtse Monastery
Pemayangtse Gonpa
One of Sikkim’s oldest and most important Nyingma monasteries. The seven-tiered wooden sculpture of the Sangdok Palri celestial palace on the top floor is astonishing.
Pemayangtse Monastery, meaning “Perfect Sublime Lotus,” was expanded around 1705 by Lhatsun Namkha Jigme. It is one of Sikkim’s most important Nyingma monasteries. Historically, only monks of pure lineage, known as tatsang, could be ordained here, and the monastery conducted rites for the Sikkimese royal family. The three-story main hall houses statues including Padmasambhava. The most precious treasure is on the top floor: a seven-tiered painted wooden sculpture called Sangdok Palri (the Copper-Colored Mountain Palace of Guru Rinpoche), hand-carved over five years by Dodrup Rinpoche. The monastery sits on a ridge about 2 km east of Pelling and offers views of Kangchenjunga. Entry is about 20 rupees. Photography is prohibited inside the halls, and you must walk around the monastery clockwise.
Opening hours
About 07:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Rabdentse Ruins
- Sanga Choeling Monastery
- Chenrezig Statue & Pelling Skywalk
- Kanchenjunga Falls
- Tashiding Monastery
- Rimbi Waterfall
- Rinchenpong
- Darap Village